Page 74 of Arcane Entanglement

Evander’s stomach sank when he saw the crimson light brightening the wind mage’s pupils. The man’s face was unnaturally blank.

It’s just like what happened with Magnus!

He looked jerkily around and realised half the cloaked figures had eyes glowing a similar uncanny red beneath their hoods. The rest wore rings bearing the dark stone that had robbed the senseless mages of their will, including their leader.

“Dammit!” Evander bit out. “They’re being manipulated!”

Understanding tightened Rufus’s face.

Evander’s nails dug into his palms. Unleashing his magic fully inside the crumbling church risked bringing the building down on all their heads and hurting not just the officers, but the innocent men whose minds the dark mage and his followers had ravaged with their corrupt magic.

His gaze found the loathsome figure heading the group, conscious their enemy had picked this location for that very reason.

“What the hell do you want?!” Evander growled.

“It’s simple, really. We’re going to capture your friends and hold them hostage until you bring that vial to us. If you refuse, we’ll kill them. Then we’ll go find some more Met officers and kill them too.” The dark mage shrugged, his expression growing disinterested. “And so on and so forth, until we get what we want.”

Rage narrowed Evander’s vision.

It was at this point that a voice shouted his name.

Evander whirled around. There was movement at the church entrance.

His heart leapt when he recognised the imposing figure barrelling through the smoke and flames.

Viggo?!

Their eyes met across the chaotic space.

“Sorry I’m late!”

Chapter31

Viggo's heartpounded as he raced towards the burning church, Solomon and Finn hot on his heels. The acrid smell of smoke filled his nostrils, mingling with the ever-present stench of the ghettos and the sickly-sweet scent of burningNoctis Bloom.

He jerked to a stop when he reached the constables frozen around the building.

“What are you waiting for?!” Viggo roared. “Use your goddamn whistles and go get help!”

The officers jumped, pale faces turning towards them. One frowned and began reaching for his truncheon.

“Now’s not the time to be messing about, you pillock!” Solomon snarled. “Can any of you use water magic?!”

The constables exchanged fearful looks and shook their heads.

Frustration churned Viggo’s stomach. He looked hurriedly at Finn.

“Find the nearest Soot Squad and water pumps! This fire is going to spread if we don’t stop it right now!”

Debris from the explosion had already set alight one of the branches of the oak tree and clumps of dry grass in the graveyard. As if to prove him right, the thatched roof of a house next to the church ignited with awhoomphthat sent birds lifting towards the sky in a mad flight.

Finn nodded jerkily and dashed off towards the slums. People had already begun trickling out of alleyways and were gathering in the street. Confusion gave way to fear when they saw the blaze.

A fire in the slums could decimate buildings and kill dozens in a matter of minutes.

The church soared above Viggo as he and Solomon pelted up the path, the blasts of the Met’s enchanted whistles splitting the air behind them. The weathered stone walls were already black with soot.

His chest tightened at the sight of the bright flames shooting out of the broken windows. The fire burned too intensely, too eagerly, to be anything but magical in origin.